Gabriel Bocángel
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Bocángel y Unzueta (1603–1658) was a playwright
and poet
of the Spanish Golden Age
. Born in Madrid
, he studied at Alcalá de Henares
and then served as librarian to Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand
. He also served as bookkeeper and chronicler to the king. He participated in various literary contests and competitions. Philip IV of Spain
granted him a life pension.
He was the first playwright to introduce music into theatrical performances, thus creating a distant precursor to the zarzuela
.
His poems can be divided into two main groups: Liras Humanas and Liras Sagradas.
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
of the Spanish Golden Age
Spanish Golden Age
The Spanish Golden Age is a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty. El Siglo de Oro does not imply precise dates and is usually considered to have lasted longer than an actual century...
. Born in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, he studied at Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
and then served as librarian to Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand was Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Infante of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Archbishop of Toledo , and military...
. He also served as bookkeeper and chronicler to the king. He participated in various literary contests and competitions. Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
granted him a life pension.
He was the first playwright to introduce music into theatrical performances, thus creating a distant precursor to the zarzuela
Zarzuela
Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...
.
His poems can be divided into two main groups: Liras Humanas and Liras Sagradas.